The Kerala government has revised the guidelines related to the discharge of COVID-19 patients, informed health minister Veena George here on Thursday. The discharge policy was revised after classifying patients into three categories as mild symptoms, small symptoms and critical condition.
Those who have mild symptoms will be discharged from the hospital even if the antigen test results turn positive. A seven-day home quarantine is compulsory for all COVID patients. Those who develop symptoms must observe quarantine for 7 days from the first day of developing symptoms. Asymptomatic patients must observe quarantine from the day on which they tested positive for COVID-19. If they don’t suffer fever for continuous three days, they can end the home quarantine.
While observing home quarantine, everyone must ensure that they are not experiencing any serious health issues. A six-minute walk test is prescribed every day. People who experience health issues or find falls in oxygen level must inform the hospital from where they were discharged or dial toll-free number 104 or 105.
Those who have small symptoms will be discharged from the hospital if their health condition is satisfactory.
Those who have serious ailments, HIV, cancer or people who had undergone organ transplantation and those who use immunosuppressant will be discharged only after rapid antigen test.
If patients with serious ailments show improvement before 14 days of testing COVID positive, they will be shifted to CFLTC. They must undergo an antigen test on the 14th day at the CFLTC.
The health department informed that samples of patients who continue to test positive for COVID-19 in antigen test for more than 20 days will be sent for genome sequencing.
